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90
The number of children examined was 313. 259 were
examined at school and 54 were examined at the clinic. Of
these, 281 needed attention; only 32, or 10%, had their
teeth all sound.
The 313 children had 6,927 teeth, of which 4,472 were
temporary. Among these it was found that 3,382 were
sound, 643 were slightly decayed, and 447 were so hopelessly
decayed that extraction was the only remedy.
Of the 2,435 permanent teeth, 2,258 were sound, 165
slightly decayed and could be filled, and 32 were unsavable
and required extracting.
180 notices were sent to parents; 72, or 40%, were
returned signed.
The total number of children treated was 126, and
these made in the aggregate 396 attendances. 208 teeth
were extracted, and 108 nitrous oxide gas anaesthetics were
administered for those extractions. There are many advantages
in this method over the local anaesthetic. In the latter
method the child is cognisant of what is being done, and
thus in the majority of cases becomes extremely nervous;
whereas in the former the child simply goes to sleep and
neither feels nor sees what is being done. Again, it is
possible to extract more teeth under gas than under a local
anaesthetic. All general anaesthetics were administered by
one of the school doctors.
There were inserted 190 fillings, consisting of cement or
amalgam and cement-amalgam as the case demanded; and
77 dressings. The teeth of two children were scaled and
cleaned.
A fee of one shilling is recovered from such parents as
can afford to pay; £2 8s. was paid in this way.